Travel World guide

I for one thought this a very informative book and enjoyed every bit it had to offer. The only problem is the fact that it reiterates almost everything that was said in the last books, only in less detail. I’ve practically seen every bit of material the book had to offer in other books. But, nevertheless it’s a Bruce lee book and that’s the bottom line. It’s got my full vote.

Finally, a detailed book that decribes how Bruce Lee developed such incredible strength, and such an amazing body. The book, in addition to tell us what Bruce Lee did, tells us HOW he did it. The detailed descriptions of how to perform each exercise is invaluable to anyone who wants to make the most of it. And the book is packed with tips on how to always improve yourself. I’ve read a lot of books on weight-training and conditioning, and this is one of the best. All the details on how to perform exercices and movements also makes the earlier books in this series better, since those books often lacked a description on how each movement should be done, how many reps, how often and so on. This also goes for stretching, basic training and cardiovascular, not just weight-lifting. The only thing missing is a little more critically wiew on some things from the author, John Little. Not all of Bruce Lee’s theories on how to train are completely accurate by the standards we have today. For instance, on the issue on stretching, the book “Stretching scientifically” by T. Kunz is a far more advanced and efficient approach, and at some poinst completely the opposite of what this book suggests. This also goes for some other minor things, and should at least have been noticed. To train exactely like Bruce Lee is not advised, as this would probably injure most people. But this book tells you exactly how he lived with his training, and is ment to inspire the rest of us. And it sure does. A must for anyone interested in the human body, be it bodybuilders, martial artists or anyone else, regardless of what level you train in. Read the book, apply what you learn, and be the strongest and most powerfull you can be.

I thought I knew all there was to know about Bruce Lee, but I was wrong! ‘Bruce Lee: Artist of Life’ has opened up an entirely new vista of insights and understanding. To read Bruce Lee’s own words in the original manner in which he wrote them is highly educational and inspiring. Anyone who reads this (whether a martial artist or not) will come away with an enhanced appreciation for the genius and compassion of Bruce Lee. This is a book that’s time has come. I would have given it 10 stars if Amazon would allow it! Absolutely great.

I enjoyed many portions of the book, especially the evolution of his article on Jeet Kune Do. Even the section on acting revealed how naturally Lee applied his self-knowledge approach in martial arts with other facets of his life. I dog-eared pages and underlined a few passages and see that Lee’s writing frequently gave me pause for thought. Sad that Lee’s life was cut short and it would’ve been fascinating to see where maturity and added life experiences might’ve taken his efforts.

I had to wait six weeks for the Barnes and Noble store in my area to restock “Bruce Lee: Artist of Life” — but it was well worth the wait! This is the greatest Bruce Lee book I’ve ever seen! Not only is there new, never-before-published material in almost every section, but Mr. Little has done Bruce Lee a great service by reproducing some of the writings that had been published previously (both in the Tao of Jeet Kune Do and in the Bruce Lee Library Series) in the original format that Bruce Lee first wrote them. I particularly enjoyed the never-before-published drafts of Bruce’s great essay “Jeet Kune Do: Toward Personal Liberation.” There are new and subtle differences in each version of the famous essay as Bruce works it over with each draft. I understand that this represents “the essential writings” of Bruce Lee, that is, a representative anthology of Bruce’s writings in many different areas. It certainly is “essential” — it’s the best Bruce Lee book I’ve ever read and essential for anyone who wishes a full and complete understanding of the totality of the man. If you are looking for a book that is both a great introduction to the phenomenon that is Bruce Lee as well as a book that will inspire you to fully actualize yourself…this is the book you’ve been waiting for!

This is a very good book if you are looking for a good work out routine.

This is definately a great book it has alot of conprehensive tips on how to develope your body so that it will be functional as well as look incredible. While some of its techniques are a little antiquated most of these health and fitness tips are definately worth while because lets face it people if Bruce Lee got the body he did by using this kind of training then why shouldnt we? While I think there are probably better workouts out there for me as a martial artist, who wanted to improve his power, speed, and endurance, it was great its fast, clean and definately worth you while.

I think this book is definately a great addition to anyones home fitness library. But remember this book is geared toward making your muscles funtional not nessecarily look good if you want that you would definately be better off buying another book.

For years, even since I was a teenager, I always wondered how the late, great Bruce Lee built his body and trained. I heard many theories, such as he performed only isometrics, but I knew he did more than that. I used to admire the “big Guys” in pro bodybuilding-granted, they have massive and impressive physiques, but can they use them effectively, as Bruce Lee could? Even though he did not have the hi-tech methods we have today, he proved that he could still build a fast and powerful body. The book also shows how his training methods evolved over the years. As one reader said, had he lived, he probably would have trained a lot differently today-I believe we all evolve in our training-it is a good thing since it is a sign of growth and willingness to experiment. I really don’t think it’s the equipment that builds a great body, but discipline,imagination and very hard work.I’ve learned thru this book and others not to depend on machines and equipment. I don’t personally believe his methods are obsoltete, as I incorporate many of them in my own training. What worked for Bruce may not work for everyone, being that we all respond differently. This book is an excellent reference guide-a must have for any serious martial artist.

This is a book worth owning for those who are serious into Bruce Lee’s workouts. Although the book repeats itself many times (this is where cross referencing comes in)! I was disappointed that the author interviews the same people we’ve heard from over and over. Let’s get some more perspectives on Bruce from the OTHERS that trained with him.

Bruce Lee was a man who truly made use of every spare moment he had. Long thought of as simply the pinnacle of martial arts, many fans and non-fans alike are discovering that Bruce Lee was also a thoughtful and profound philosopher. Even in this volume of the fantastic Bruce Lee library, you will find tremendous philosophy and insight by Bruce Lee, as retold by his friends and students. Mr. Lee saw exercise as “The Art of Expressing the Human Body,” and he went to great lengths to craft his body–not for appearance–but for functionality. His circuits, weight routines, calisthenics, and cardiovascular workouts are just a few of the things detailed in this clearly exhuastively researched book. It reads quite well, and I have never worked harder at improving my own body as I have when I was actively reading this book. This is a *must* for all martial artists, and a fantastic book for anyone who needs any motivation to work out. Bruce Lee’s example is all you need to really get moving.

loved the book, everything you want to know about his life not as a martial artist but as a philosopher.

Bruce was developing his workout to gain the maximum in strength, speed, reflex, endurance and striking power in order to always have an edge over his streetfighting opponents. His superhero-like physique was a side effect of this combat training. Since he was always being challenged to streetfighting duels (and eagerly accepting them) he wasn’t interested in the concept of “overtraining.” He just wanted to maintain his ultimate fighter status. I doubt he would have stopped training so intensely even if he had lived up into the era of the Rest-As-Part-Of-Your-Workout. Yes, “a reader.” Streetfighting was Bruce Lee’s sport. He was bored by the traditional fighting sports of his day. Too many rules. He grew up as a streetfighter on the rooftops of Hong Kong where anything goes, so his duels on his movie sets was the “sport” he trained for. This book did a really good job at showing Bruce Lee’s focus and determination at putting together an effective workout system designed to turn a nearly obsessive man into a superfighter.

I’ve just finished this book, and now feel ready to review it. It wasa great read. This book can be read on a various number oflevels. It’s great for everyone, but let me explian. If you’re a complete novice to fitness, and have never touched a barbell, there are things in here for you. There are various no-weight exercises that can really work out your cardiovascular systems (heart/lungs), as well as simple exercises anyone can do. Even if you haven’t ever touched a barbell, you should get this book. If you’ve been lifting for a while, and aren’t exactly an expert, there are things for you, especially. That’s the case for me. There are plenty of exercises, stretches, routines, and tips that I can take advantage of, and I like that. Nothing in there is really dangerous, if performed properly, so anyone with small experience in weight lifting (so that you know proper form for most exercises) will benefit greatly from this book. And finally, if you’re a fitness guru, then you can (probably) take advantage of the circuit trainer (machine) exercises in there, to slim down, tone, and improve indurance. Gurus might also benefit from cross-training tips that even an experienced bodybuilder might not know.

And as for the actual content, there are bundles of specialization exercises, for certian muscle groups, to help you out. There are prefab routines for ‘overall fitness’ or ‘general strenghtneing’. This is very good, but lacking something very special that made me give this book just 4 stars (4.5 if I could. overall the book is great without the exception of this). While exercise descriptions are adequate and provide how many reps and sets you should do, there is almost nothing in there about putting a lot of specialization exercises together, and putting other exercises together, into a *regimen.* Not just one workout, but how often to do it and what to include, etc. If you’re a complete novice to working out, you should talk to someone more experienced to help you organize your fitness plan….

All in all, this is a great book, with excellent content and a good professional style, along with small anecdotes and recollections, and lots of pictures to make it much better than the run of the mill exercise instruction book (just a boring list of exercises). If you’re curious about fitness or Bruce Lee or both, get this book.

This is a must for any martial artist, Weightlifter, Bodybuilder or even just cross-trainer. The book is a wealth of information which is clearly laid out and straight to the point. While other books and articles I have read claim to tell of Lee’s discoveries and then don’t, this reveals EVERYTHING. Apart from the fact that there are various punching and kicking drills, bodybuilding programmes, isometric, dynamic tension, cardiovascular, 10 reasons why you should jog{and more importantly tells you the correct of the three methods and how to achieve better results with jogging} etc. it is also incredibly motivating. It tells how lee performed exercises while curling a dumbell, reading a book and studying boxing matches at the same time while in a side splits. Most importantly, each section fills you in the little tips and tricks which Bruce wrote: for example in the FOREARM section (of which Bruce in unbeaten) Bruce writes to wrap a towel around a dumbell when performing curls and you will fill out you sleeves in 2 weeks!{it works!}

If that isn’t motivation enough it has plently of pictures such as Lee performing THUMBPUSHUPS!! and balancing his entire body on just his traps on a weighlifting bench!!. It points out the differences between real functional muscle and the bulky muscle which bodybuilders want and shows how to achieve both{which serves to silence the fools who believe martial arts and weights are incompatible}. It explains why Lee took up weights. It presents helpful little charts which can be made at home and used for training e.g the training programme for dan inosanto or even just the 1964 measurements chart from a hong kong gym used by bruce. Even things such as the Nutrition section which every person should know about present helpful tips{and also things to avoid such as liquidising everything which Lee did!}

I’ll admit it, I’m a big fan of Bruce Lee. This book provides an interesting insight into the man and his way of life. It shows that he was human, filled with promise, highly successful and a worthy mentor. It also shows, that he learned from his mistakes, found ways to overcome the challenges in his life and constantly pursued self improvement.

The only reason why I didn’t give this book more stars is that I don’t think it tells the reader a lot that they didn’t already know. In that sense, it is a little bit derivative. However, if you are a fan (like me) or you haven’t read much about Bruce Lee the man, then I definitely recommend it.

This is a truly amazing book that gives a breif insight into the mind of a true genius this book gives an accurate and true to life account of bruce lee’s personal life and some of his inner most thoughts and beliefs if you only buy one book in your whole life this should be it so.. what are you waiting for go buy it

This is the very first Bruce Lee book I had ever read. Though I dont go to gym nor attend any martial art class, as a movie fan of Bruce, I still find it very interesting and informative, in particular those very high quality b/w photos that fully show his incredible charm and power. The author claims that he possesses unique inside information that distinguishes his book from others. In this respect, I believe the author is authentic because he gets a foreword by Bruce’s wife who told the very story about the birth of the JKD philosophy. Morever, there are many handwritings and drawings by Bruce, in addition to those training manuals, diet menus and time tables blah blah blah.

In case you just wanna know more about Bruce Lee regarding things I mentioned above, I think this book will satisfy you well.

I’ve just finished reading “Artist of Life” and am amazed at the wealth of new Bruce Lee material! Who would have thought that Bruce Lee, apart from being the premiere martial artist of the 20th century, was also a wonderful poet! I particularly enjoyed the way that John Little has arranged the materials; being able to read Bruce Lee’s writings — exactly as he wrote them — requires a supreme sensitivity and comprehension of the subject matter. Thank you Linda Lee for allowing these wonderful papers of your husband to finally be published! The multiple drafts of Bruce’s essays on his art of Jeet Kune Do sheds new light on a subject that is sorely in need of it. This book showcases Bruce Lee — the complete human being — rather than just zeroing in on his martial art skills. It is the closest thing I will ever have to being able to spend time with Bruce Lee himself …and I’m cherishing every word on every page! I’ll be buying extra copies for my friends this Christmas!

I am a fan of Bruce’s and a student of Jeet Kune Do. This book has everthing you would want to know about fitness.
Running, cardio, weights, isometrics, nutrition, circut training, etc, etc, etc. There are numerous interviews with friends and students of Bruce Lee, and descriptions of the methods he used to train them and himself. I found the circut training he did to prepare for Enter The Dragon very intersting. There is an interesting appendix in the book that tells how the author, with the help of Ted Wong recovered Bruce Lee’s Marcy exercise machine and another appendix giving all of Bruce’s measurements. The best thing I took away from the book was the extreme importance of all aspects of physical fitness when it comes to defending yourself.

As a downside there is definitely alot of repeated material in the book. For example a description of the bench press is probably in there 10 different times.

The author plainly didn’t find the right editor to help him construct a clean and coherent book of this sort. I felt it was disorganized and all jumbled together–clumsy. Nevertheless, the book contains ample information that impressed me a great deal. I’d give it 1 star for quality and 6 stars for information. Buy it, it’s cool.

I’ve just finished re-reading BRUCE LEE: ARTIST OF LIFE for the fourth time and cannot believe the incredible material that is packed within its pages! To read Bruce Lee’s philosophy of life, his poetry, his writings in psychology and acting, are worth the price of the book alone. And when you add in all of the essays he wrote on Gung Fu and Jeet Kune Do, this book gives you an education in the thought and beliefs of Bruce Lee unlike any other I have ever seen. Reading (and now re-reading) this book has opened my eyes to the fact that Bruce Lee was about seeking truth (which he equated with Tao) of martial art – not simply accumulating or looking at different styles. This book also shows how he applied this search for truth to the process of being a human being. Even my wife (who is not a martial artist) is in love with this book! If you want the best possible education in the “totality” of Bruce Lee, you need to get this book.

I agree with one reviewer in that this is a great book if you are a fan, but since Bruce Lee is dead, and it’s been over 25 years since his death, there are methods today that are probably better. However, considering how there were not all the vast amounts of info on physical training back in the 60′s and 70′s like there are today, it does offer a tremendous insight into how we normal people can train our bodies without all of the modern conveniences of today. Bruce Lee’s physique was awesome towards the latter part of his life (Enter the Dragon, Return of the Dragon) because his body was very well defined–he had cuts; I’d rather be cut and medium sized than super buff and no cuts (muscle on top of fat like a lot of people you see). This offers a testimony to the physical achievement that Bruce Lee accomplished (remember the time setting here; no popular widespread muscle mags, workout shows, big modern gyms, etc.). We can learn from his training methods. Maybe we normal people can enhance them with some modern technology. Bruce Lee was a pioneer in physical training. He used to have his friend, who was a welder, build special machines for his specific purpose. This is what we see in our modern gyms today. So, if you are a fan of the late great Bruce Lee like I am, then this is a great book for insight into Bruce’s training methods. If you want to have some knowledge of physical training, then this is also a great book, and there are modern modern methods too, but the methods that Bruce Lee used can still work today. Just think, Bruce Lee developed his physique without all of the modern conveniences that we have today, so we can still get great value out of this book. At his time era, there weren’t a whole lot of pictures plastered everywhere of models with cut bodies like we see today, but in fact, Bruce Lee’s physique still rivals most personalities of today in terms of symmetry and pound for pound strength (I like his physique the best). Look closely at his forearms in blown up posters of him in Enter the Dragon. I have yet to see someone with forearms as cut and built like that for someone of equivalent size and weight. Anyway, the book is under $20.00, so it’s a great buy. Lots of pics of him that I haven’t seen before, and insight into the man Bruce Lee too, so go ahead and get it.

Anything about Bruce Lee is magical. John Little, the official scribe for the post Bruce Lee era, has compiled a book of exercised supposedly done by Bruce himself. There are a few problems with this book that I would just like to warn others about for if they wish to buy this book or not.

1) A few, not all, of the exercises are confusing. You may need to look up a few of them online to get a clear understanding.

2) This book wasn’t a masterpeice in terms of editing. It will say “Dan Inosanto says this on page 48″ and you won’t find it on page 46, 47, 48, 49, 50…so…idk.

The main thing I love about this book, as with all the Bruce Lee collections by John Little….THE BRUCE LEE PICTURES! Over 100 of the best photos of Bruce in each of the books in this series. I love them!!!

4/5
John McAdam
Author Of: Were Ancient Gods From Other Planets?

There was a time that I was skeptical that a 145 lb., 5’7″, individual could have anything to offer as far as offering instruction on building tremendous physical strength and acheiving combat skills that are rivaled by few. This book deals with the first point…that of building tremendous physical strength which would be utilized for acheiving excelling combat skills. Great insight into the mind of a man who I once doubted could acheive such greatness.

Bruce lee Artist of life

Bruce lee Artist of Life is probable the best book I have ever read for several reasons. For one it is written by probably the best know and most talented Martial Artist of the twentieth century. This book consist of personal journal entries made by Bruce Lee. It contains topics such as Gung fu, Philosophy, Psychology, Poetry, Jeet Kune Do, Acting, Self-Knowledge then it ends with personal letter written by Bruce Lee.

Gung Fu section lee begins the article by saying ,”Gung Fu is a special kind of skill, a fine art rather than just a physical exercise or defense.” Couldn’t agree more as a participate in the fine art of martial arts. Really if your some what intrigue by Bruce lees philosophy you should read this book. In the Gung fu chapter of this book ,taken from handwritten notes by Bruce lee, he cover such topics as The center of the Oriental arts were he goes into deep discussion about such things as philosophies of Taoism, Cha’an (Zen),Meanings of gung fu, and what they mean to him. Other articles deal with his personal reflections on how he views and interrupts Gung fu and it’s teachings. The chapter goes on with other essays he’s written such as
Reflections on Gung Fu – Deep views on the stages of a “Gun Fu Man”
Teach yourself self-defense -Tips on self defense, for example “expect to get hurt”, “Ignore the pain, instead of giving up use it as a spur to counterattack and victory”
Psychology in defense and attack -Explain how to overcome the mental aspects of a fight and the advantages and disadvantages of size.
How to choose a martial arts instructor -”Believe half of what you see and definitely nothing that you here” Before choosing an instructor you must see if he has what it takes to back his statements.
The unity of Gentleness/firmness -What’s necessary for combat in terms of gentleness to firmness ratio.
My (Bruce Lee’s) views on Gung Fu -Essay on how he views Gung Fu.
The next chapter consist of essays regarding philosophy. Lee’s philosophy are more refined than those of lets say Socrates. He tends to deal with more humanizing issues dealing with matters pertaining to the inner self of humans being. For example human understanding, then he gets into really advanced philosophy which ,you really must be quite intelligent to decipher the meaning. Some examples of that are his essay on “Living in the oneness of things” , The unity of firmness and softness, Taoism, Yin – Yang, Wu-Hsin(No-Mindedness),Wu We(non-action),The letting go(must read essay). He also goes into his opinion on Plato, Plato’s “Gorgias” and Socrates. After that in this chapter there’s a essay entitled The nature of human beings in which he is truly inspiring. To me Bruce Lee is much more than a martial arts superstar he’s probable one of the most genius thinker of the 20th Century .After that he writes about meditation and what it means to him (how he applies it to his life). Part 3 is the psychology section which is as genius as the philosophy section with topics such as The Relationship of the Organism to its Environment. Not only is Bruce lee a brilliant thinker he’s an excellent poet. Here’s an example of one such poem :

The Dying Sun
The dying sun lies sadly in the far horizon
The autumn wind blows mercilessly.
The yellow leaves fall.

From the mountain peak,
Two streams parted unwillingly

One to the West, one to the East
The sun will rise again in the morning
The leaves will be green again in spring.
But must we be like the mountain stream,
Never to meet again?
-Bruce Lee

His poems alone could have made him an incredible voice in the world of literature. However, Lees writing ability surpasses the creative mind to which poets need to write. Lee’s genius transcends that of an average human being into the realm of a religious figure. Which is probable why he is worshiped in some tribes in the forest of Asian (True!).Part 5 is entitles Jeet Kune Do – The Liberation. It includes essays on the meaning of Jeet Kune Do: The way of the intercepting fist. It also contain multiply drafts of his essay entitled Toward Personal Liberation (Jeet Kune Do).Part 7 is on Acting. This is a list of essays in which Lee philosophies about the meanings, job, self-actualizing, self-made actualization, and the Art of Acting. Part 7 Self-Knowledge. It contains eight different draft of lee’s personal essay entitled In My Own Process. The book ends with Part 8,Letters. There are six letter in this chapter written to

-Pearl Tso A friend of the lee family written in September 1962
-Taky Kimura An assistant instructor for Bruce Lee’s Jeet Kune Do.
-2 to Jhoon Goo Rhee the farther of Tae Kwon Do in North America
-Larry Hartsell a student of Bruce Lee’s Los Angeles Chinatown school.

If any of these topics interest you ,you should order this book right now. I was amazed at how philosophical lee was. The amount of detail and time it would of taken him to write all these essays on all of these topics to better understand himself. This is a man who truly wanted to get the deep meanings of his self ,Martial Arts, and the things in the environment around him. I have read this book 3 times straight through and I often pick it up to read certain essays which pertain to what I’m looking for. If you do decide to give this book a try I would suggest that you really take a thorough approach to reading this book. As in explore the meanings and how they apply to you and your life as an individual. Good bye until we meet again.

.

Excellent book showing how Bruce Lee developed his awesome body and how he built-up the power behind it. The author has great sources that he got the material from, since some of the pictures are of actual notes that Lee himself wrote. Lee worked extremely hard to get his body in the near-perfect shape that it was in, and this book describes how he did it. This book contains alot of material that was previously unavailable before to anyone wanting to know how Lee trained, what he ate, how he taught his students how to train, what his views were on exercise, cardiovascular training, stretching, and most important, how to develop power from your workout. His training was based on his martial arts influence, as he always searched for ways to improve himself in his own martial art of Jeet Kune Do (JKD). This book shows how he incorporated various exercises and his training regimen during various parts of his life to constantly change and adapt to what he felt would benefit him the most at that particular time. If he felt he needed more endurance, he would incorporate more running and punching the heavy bag, if he felt he needed more quickness and speed, he would do more speed drills, jump rope, etc. An excellent book to learn more about how Lee trained himself and his students to get in the best shape of their lives, and also an example and inspiration to other who exercise and try to keep fit. Of course, if you want a book to show you “how” to workout with weights, then this is not the book for you, but if you want to learn how to improve your overall self through exercise, diet and training, then this is an excellent book.

I just received my copy of Bruce Lee’s “The Art of Expressing the Human Body”. Feeling that too emphasis and involvement in weight training without a clearly defined path would do more harm than good, I purchased this book in order to have a reference for an effective and organized approach toward conditioning for martial arts applications and overall health benefits.

Like many others, I have admired Bruce Lee for his philosophies, dedication, skill, speed and overall physical condition which is in my opinion perfection -if not a damn good second. In my youth, his role as “Kato” in the Green Hornet TV series inspired me to become more acquainted and knowledgeable of eastern thought, culture and later, martial arts -a major turning point for a young man on the threshold of adolescence and in need of quality role models and `heroes’ -likewise with David Carradine and his performance in “Kung Fu” and learning of his real life involvement in his art.

In addition to the detailed descriptions of his demanding daily routine(s), I can really appreciate the mind and methodology he applied to getting the most and the best out of diet, exercise, training and pushing beyond his own personal limits.

At present, I’m reading the first pages addressing weight training for general conditioning applicable to martial arts. Before receiving my personal copy, such training was limited to that used within my dojo and incomplete knowledge of how to maximize results with the free weights I have been using. In other words, serious, but clueless.

The first couple of chapters cover a `program for beginners’ using easily available equipment and the foundation for building strength, speed and endurance. There is also a section detailing Bruce Lee’s approach to developing a diet program that met his unique demands that will benefit not only martial artists in general but anyone who reads and applies it -valuable in itself.

The text is straightforward and points out what is important and why, what needs to learned and (for those such as me) what needs to be unlearned and relearned.

What is VERY encouraging is the section on Bruce Lee’s vital statistics- height, weight and age. Anyone fitting this description (minus the muscular development) would be labeled `scrawny’, a ’98 Pound Weakling’, (and other invectives) resulting in a negative self-image compounded by deepening emotional impact of such derision.

Whether involved in martial arts or simply looking for a path to attain a better physical appearance and attending health, this compilation lays it out straightforward and simply with plenty of photos and supporting records to encourage the reader -any reader -to press on.

Thank you Mr. Lee for being so meticulous.

Thank you Mr. Little putting such valuable information in one volume.

Special thanks to Ms. Cadwell, the Estate of Bruce Lee and all those who granted their permission for the publication of this book.

======== (Anecdote) ===========

Once upon a time, there was a TV show called “Kung Fu” with David Carradine that turned junior high and high school geeks into overnight Kung Fu experts. No longer were we to be stuffed into our lockers, we were transformed into Kung Fu Master Geeks overnight! The following day we were again stuffed into our lockers, but this time it was different! We `knew’ Kung Fu! We were convinced our humiliation would end after watching a few more episodes (or so we thought)!

Lessons learned, the semesters passed and we waited among the shadows lest the bullies would see us and subject us to more vile and inhumane treatment.

We waited and waited until -Once upon a later time, Bruce Lee, through his first films, transformed the bullies we had so often feared into OVERNIGHT NUNCHUCK MASTERS! Tales drifted through the school halls that in less than 48 hours, our nemeses had beaten themselves senseless with sticks! We were FREE!

“What goes around, comes around” and faster than you think when karma takes the form of nunchuku in the hands of a bully with a lot of ego and little experience!

Thanks for the encouragement to be to remain joyful, full of hope, patient, attentive, dedicated, to remain free of ego and most of all, to see what is possible.

“Bruce Lee: Artist of Life” contains a treasuretroveof wisdom that is applicable to everyone (not just martial artists)! Iwas absolutely amazed to read about Bruce Lee’s insights into life, eastern and western philosophy and even his poetry! There is enough martial art material (most of it never published before!) to satisfy the most serious practitioner of Jeet Kune Do, but there is also a wealth of wonderful material on psychology, self-knowledge and art to make for wonderful reading for any member of the family. I am going to have to order a second copy to keep in good condition because I’ve already marked up my first copy with underlinings and notations. What a book! But then, with Bruce Lee, what an author!

I started to by this one to complete the series,not because it was good work. This one is at best an attempt by Little to fill the pages with typical fitness info since material on Bruce’s bodybuilding was limited. Example.
Bruce had an exercise called the flag where he laid flat on a bench, grabbed the support bars, and elevated his torso in mid-air at a 45 degree angle and held it. You dont see much on this because its difficult. I was hopiing this work captured that move. Nothing. Bruce modified much of the basic stuff in this book so you can hardly say this is what he was actually doing. Just like he modified wing chun, boxing, and fencing for the nucleus of Jeet Kune Do.These described exercises in the weight room are typical of any good fitness manual.The photos of Bruce’s definition are good but they are being exploited in this work pass off the mundane fitness stuff you can find anywhere. There are other books that focus better on exactly what the Lee workout consisted of. Pass on this one. If you like the pictures though, get it.Also, I wrote a letter to little about that missing exercise. He didnt answer.

It’s a good read, supposedly (note I said SUPPOSEDLY) shows his work out, diet, training, etc. However there are no pictures of him demonstrating his exercises. Instead are alot of pictures of Bruce Lee during his filming of movies or scenes from movies instead of exercises. Sure everyone knows how to use the bench press, but a visual is nice. It describes the exercises, but lacks visual representation. You’d need a workout book (I recommend Arnold Schwarzenegger’s Encyclopedia of Modern Bodybuilding to go along with this) to see exercises.

Some people may be skeptical about Bruce Lee as a martial artist, bodybuilder, fitness enthusiast, etc. But in reality one need not be a fan to understand the brilliance to his methods. The book always emphasizes that Bruce was all about changing things, looking and trying all aspects, then deciding what stays and what is unnecessary. Like chiseling away the pieces of stone to carve a statue.
After having done extensive research into bodybuilding, fitness, martial arts, Asian Medicine, Eastern Philosophy, exercise physiology, and dietetics I can honestly say that this book is very advanced. What I mean by this is that one has to do his/her own research to decide about the methods outlined. Indeed some of the research is outdated. For example the couplings of incomplete proteins and complete is slightly flawed in logic. However, you must not forget these methods were employed way before large advances were made in the way of sports nutrition and supplementation.
In the training aspect any normal human would indeed be overtrained. But the body is a magnificent creation and can adapt to anything that it encounters. Shaolin Monks, Ultra Runners, Olympic Gymnasts… they all do things that would overtrain any of us normal people. But they are not overtrained. Indeed Bruce had trained long and hard to become as resilient as such.
As someone who has done a little Personal Training I have to say that his development when he started lifting weights showed his ability to adapt. His body became very muscular very quickly. However, for those who think steroids were his thing… they were not. Not only did he believe in the natural way he also believed that a bulky body will decrease flexibilty and overall speed and endurance. So he actually lost muscle for the sake of being a better martial artist. At this time the only available steroids were things such as testosterone and Dianabol. Bulking agents. (Yes, some steroids build mass and others build power. Some even build endurance by producing erythropoetin but they weren’t invented until the mid 70s. The most famous came into vogue in the 80s.) The pills he was seen popping so often were often amino acid pills.
My overall advice about this book? Get some training under your belt whether it’s in body building, endurance running, martial arts, etc. Then read this book. It will bring you to the starting point to try and take your body to the next level. Anyone can be an armchair quarterback, but to get out there and try is much more practical.
Keep using and changing the things that challenge you and make a positive difference. Take away the things that do nothing or take away from your goals. If you’re a body builder maybe running two miles a day every morning will be detrimental (Although for one who lives in Texas it actually helps keep him in the right shape to do his intense powerlifting/body building hybrid training). For an endurance runner perhaps having well conditioned forearms that enhance the hooking techniques of Wing Chun isn’t necessary for running a marathon better. But for a martial artist perhaps a more conditioned midsection to enhance kicking and punching power might be of benefit to you. Or the added cardiovascular endurance to fight for 5 rounds instead of three.
As for the nutrition… remember. The only part that you have to remember is to eat foods that benefit you towards your goal and not eat foods that don’t. Moderation is key as well. (A few cups of tea a day can make a LARGE difference)
As a personal experience… I used this book to not only increase the power of my midsection, but also to help lower my bodyfat, decrease my 2 mile time, strengthen my grappling ability, enhance my muscle mass, increase my energy, and also to reinstill that feeling of wanting to experiment. To find what works and what doesn’t. The book is the gateway and not the means to an end. After applying the priniciples that suit you… it is up to you to keep learning new ways to keep improving.
If anyone is curious… I am a martial artist, body builder, dietician, Buddhist (born into the temple itself), scientist, and a sports nutritionist. And yes… I practice what I believe is necessary for improvement. Including the practice of taking a day off to eat anything, not train, not think, and just enjoy time with the people who matter in my life.

`The Art of Expressing the Human Body’ explores the training techniques and health ideas of Bruce Lee. In a large A4 sized book you get in-depth analysis of how his training ideas developed, as well as specific training plans for a variety of goals. This book looks at Isometrics, beginners routines, general strength routines, strength and shape routines, circuit training, martial arts strength training and then specific chapters focusing on particular body parts before it looks at cardio health, nutrition and ending on some of Bruce’s personal training diaries. The whole book is well presented and has numerous photos of Lee in various training sessions or films. One small gripe is that although the book has lots of photos, none of the exercises are illustrated so although they are described you may not fully understand how to practise them and clear diagrams may have helped. Also about a third of the exercises need to be done on a multi gym and unless you have one at home this will involve joining a gym if you want to replicate these programs exactly. The ideas are well thought out and show how Lee experimented and questioned everything until he worked out a system of training that was perfect for him and could be applied by anyone else. This is fascinating to read for his dedication and development alone, the various photos are amazing and inspiring and an added bonus in an already information packed book. If you are a fan of Lee then this is indispensable and if you are looking for some good training ideas then this is a pretty good place to go as well. Just take it easy and build up slowly to some of the weights Lee could achieve!!

Feel free to check out my blog which can be found on my profile page.

How much you get out of this book will very much depend on where you’re coming from. Bearing in mind Lee’s amazing physique, power and reputation I was expecting something a little more interesting. There is little in this book that somebody with a basic knowledge of weight training and martial arts couldnt tell you. If you’re just getting into martial arts or working out in general and have little previous experience then this would be a useful purchase.

I’ve just finished reading “Bruce Lee: Artist ofLife” — what a book! It was just like having a private lessonwith Bruce Lee on a host of different topics! I enjoyed spending time with him as he discoursed on gung fu and Chinese culture; then attending philosophy classes with him at the University of Washington; moving from there on to the study of the mind as he explored the Gestalt approach to psychology; and then listening to him wax poetic about life, longing and lovers separated by fate; then it was a journey into the inner recesses of the soul to learn about “personal liberation” through JKD; his views on acting followed, revealing how he applied all of the foregoing into his films, and then, finally, his profoundly personal essays “In My Own Process” allowed Bruce to share with me his views on the process of his life. Again, what a magnificent book and what an incredible human being it reveals. This is my favorite volume in The Bruce Lee Library Series and I, for one, quite enjoy the breadth and scope of this volume. If you’re interested just in JKD — read volume three in this series; if you’re interested in just gung fu — read volume two (both are devoted exclusively to these respective modes of combat); if you want more of Bruce Lee’s private letters — you will enjoy volume five. But if you’re looking for a great anthology of Bruce Lee’s most important writings, you HAVE to read this book! It’s the only book that covers all the bases in the totality of Bruce Lee’s interests and beliefs. A great read.

Good, and that’s all
Although Bruce Lee himself was masterful at his art- he was not however a God. Many people seem to consider him as so and frankly his ideas were in truth interesting and effective, but they were also not beyond the realms of any others human being’s imagination. His skill was impressive but is neverthless achievable by any other human being.
This combined with the pretentious writing style of bodybuilder/author John Little, makes the book a terrible read. But what it does create is an underlying message that nothing is achieved without hard work. You don’t need to read a whole book to know this though.

I was under the assumption that this book would focus more on martial arts. When it arrived, I learned that it was just what it said “expressing the human body”. This book is more helpful than I would have ever guessed. I will admit that it tends to drift from the main point at times, but I solved that by using a highlighter durring the initial read.
This book is now a cornerstone to my reference collection. Bruce Lee really opens my eyes with his work-out theory. Now my exercise routine seems more efficient.

This book is very good. It is very informative, yet you should be careful if you choose to use Bruces weightlifting techniques. Check the background of each excercise in a library or on the web. Several of his exercises, such as the wrestlers neck bridge, were very dangerous and could result in permanent physical damage. I apologise for writing this, but i felt it necessary to warn all readers about the hazards. I would not want you all to go out and paralise yourselves using an excercise that has since been proven to be dangerous. Some have been proven only very recently. Just a friendly warning, and a message to say how great the book was, but just be CAREFUL. C ya